Sony needed a mascot so they went with a mutant bandicoot in jorts, and fair play it worked.
Fun fact: Naughty Dog internally codenamed the project "Sonic's Ass Game" because the camera always showed Crash from behind.
Leon gets sent to rescue the president's daughter and the village really didn't appreciate him turning up.
Fun fact: One of its early prototypes was scrapped and eventually became Devil May Cry.